


Broken Heart Syndrome

by Erdi99



Category: Stephanie Plum - Janet Evanovich
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:34:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26561491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erdi99/pseuds/Erdi99
Summary: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy or broken heart syndrome: The heart becomes suddenly weakened or stunned. The left ventricle, one of the heart's chambers, changes shape. While it is generally more common in older women, it is also frequent in people who have just experienced the loss of a loved one.
Relationships: Ricardo Carlos Manoso/Stephanie Plum
Comments: 1
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**

**I started writing this in 2017 and then abandoned it. Only the other night a perfect storyline came to mind and this is the result, after having the rewrite all chapters.**

**Bear with me, that's all I am asking :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Bobby's POV**

I look at my dress Uniform and swallow hard. I cannot do this, fuck why did I agree to this? There is a knock on my front door. When I open it, I find my best friend Lester on the other side, already dressed in his dark blues. His eyes are bloodshot, so I can tell he cried, yet I know he wouldn't admit it. "Not sure I can do this" I tell him, while stepping back to let him in.

Les clears his throat. "It's the right thing to do." But I can tell he doesn't want to do it either.

I run my hand over my freshly shaved head and sigh. "I know."

There is another knock on the door, but before I can go and open it, Les just turns around and does it for me. Tank is standing on the other side, his face void of any emotion and his eyes blank. He is just functioning at the moment. We all are, in very different ways. "Get dressed, we gotta go" He says in his XO voice, and even though we have been out of the army for ten years, it makes me stand up straighter and answer with a "Yes, Sir."

Ten minutes later, we are on our way and the silence and tension in the car is suffocating. While Tank, who is driving, is still not showing any emotion, dread spreads throughout my whole body and Les' legs start wiggling harder against the back of my seat the closer we get to our destination. None of us want to do this, but we have to. Like Les said, it is the right thing to do.

Once we arrive, we get out and put our berets back on. An older woman coming out of the building is giving us weird looks, but we ignore her when we walk past and through the door. As usual we take the stairs, with Tank leading the charge. I am so full of dread that I feel like throwing up. As a unit we had to do this a few times, notify the loved ones of our fallen comrades, but it never gets easier, yet this one has to be the hardest of all. Cause we left the army and we shouldn't have to do this anymore.

Once in front of the door, Tank knocks three times. We could let ourselves in, but I think this occasion calls for respect. Footsteps approach the door and a second later Steph throws open the door with a smile on her face "Woah, I never seen you guys in your dress blues. Don't you all look dashing" Her smile gets wider.

"Steph, may we come in please?" Tank asks.

Any other situation and I would laugh at the surprised look on Steph's face when Tank says _please,_ but now is really not the time. Surprise follows suspicion, her eyes narrow, her back straightens and her arms cross over her chest. I can practically see her bracing herself. "What is going on?" I wish we didn't have to diminish that ever present smile on her face. This very well may break her.

"Please, may we come in?" Tank asks again. She steps back without another word and lets us pass before closing the door behind us. "Little Girl...Steph…" Tank swallows hard. We agreed to do it like we did all other death notifications, the official way. Which means that Tank will say the official words as well. Even though they were not married, engaged or even together before he left, we felt we needed to do this.

We all 'shipped' Steph and Ranger and hoped they both would pull their heads out of the sand and make a go of it, but unfortunately it wasn't meant to be in this lifetime. "I have been asked to inform you that Ranger Manoso has been reported dead in Kandahar at 1200 local time. The circumstances surrounding his death are classified" Usually you would explain what happened and while we would generally say ' _killed in a Training exercise'_ if it the circumstances are classified, Steph is not stupid and knows Ranger wasn't doing Training exercises in Afganistan. "On behalf of the Secretary of Defense, I extend to you my deepest sympathy in your great loss." Which is also a bunch of bull, because the US Army officially denies all involvement and knowledge of Ranger being there. You gotta love Black Ops.

Steph just stands there looking at us, but not really focusing, not saying anything and not even moving her eyes. "I think she is in shock. Let's get her to the couch" I take her by the hand, squeeze it reassuringly and guide her to the couch slowly, while Les almost joggs into the kitchen.

Tank takes the seat opposite of the couch, concern lining his usually stoic face. When I turn my eyes to look back at Steph, I find that tears are now running down her face, but she is still not focusing on us or her surroundings. I could take screaming, heart broken sobs, anything else, but her silence. This is tearing me apart and one look at Les, who comes to sit on the coffee table in front of her, tells me he feels the same. If any of us could make the hurt go away for her, we would do it in an instance.

* * *

A few hours later, Steph still hasn't said a word, but she did move her body to lie on my lap. Eventually she had stopped crying and fell asleep. "I worry about her mental state" I admit to Tank, after I put her to bed.

"One of us should stay with her tonight and then tomorrow we can try to convince her to stay at Rangemen, where we can keep an eye on her" my friend answers. "I know we are all grieving, but I know he would do it for the people that mean the most to us if the roles were reversed. She is also our friend."

"You have to address the guys and Bobby has to be there for anyone who wishes to talk, in his medical capacity." Les chimes in. "I will stay with her for the next few days. If it is here or at Rangemen."

* * *

Finally, at midnight, I walk into my Apartment on three exhausted to my bones.

I ditched the Dress Uniform as soon as we got back to Rangemen and had put on my usual ensemble of cargo pants and Rangemen T-shirt, which I now peel off me as I go. I will pick all of that up tomorrow. Once down to my boxers, I grab the whisky bottle from the cabinet beneath the sink. Forgoing the glassware, I make my way into the living room, while cracking it open.

With a sigh, I drop onto the couch and take a long pull from the bottle. The whisky burns on its way down, but I hardly feel it. Having to push your own grief down, while listening to others grieving over several hours is numbing right down to the soul. I am not feeling much of anything right now. Tomorrow, I will have to call a colleague, who is a grief counselor, to put him on retainer not just for me but also for Steph and the rest of Rangemen.

I briefly close my eyes, take a deep breath and when I open them again, my gaze falls onto the picture, which is sitting on the mantle below the TV. It is showing Ranger, Les, Tank and myself the day we opened Rangemen. Four young men grinning into the camera in front of this very building. I sometimes cannot believe that that was ten years ago and how very far we have come. Unfortunately it has also taken a lot out of us.

The Business always came first in the years since then and our friendship took a backseat. Now I wish we had made more of an effort, had trained someone else so we could take time off and focus on us, our friendship, our brotherhood.

Maybe Ranger would have taken his head out of the sand and looked at what was right in front of him. Maybe Tank would have actually given it a proper go with Lula. Maybe Les would have finished the old Ford Mustang that he was rebuilding with his father, before he passed away. And for me, maybe I would have finally grown some balls and made peace with my family.

Roy Cochrane once said ' _I don't regret things I have done, but those I did not do.'_ It applies here. While I don't regret starting a successful business with my brothers, I do regret not taking the time to enjoy it too.

I also never thought, even with the missions not only Ranger did, but we all went on over the years, that we would bury one of our own after leaving the army. "To you, buddy, may you rest in peace" I tost towards the picture and take another large swig from the bottle.

* * *

I must have fallen asleep at some point, because the blaring ring of my phone startles me awake, causing the almost empty bottle of whisky to fall to the ground. Luckily the couch is not too high, so it doesn't shatter. The Phone stops and starts up again immediately. Groggily, I get up from the couch in search of the annoying device. I find it in my disregarded pants and as soon as I get it out, which takes a while in my half drunk state, it stops ringing. Seeing Les' name on my list of missed calls sobers me up immediately. I am about to press the call button, when it rings again in my hand. "Report!"

"Steph is on her way to the hospital with heart attack symptoms." Les responds immediately. "Call Tank and meet me there" and with that he hangs up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

**Thank you all so much for commenting, favoriting, following. Even though I have been writing for a while now, it still makes my day!**

**So here we go, chapter 2!**

**Bear with me! :)**

* * *

**Steph's POV**

" _What are you doing up?" Ranger steps up behind me, circling his arms around my midsection. "You should be asleep."_

" _It is far nicer out here" I smile and let my head fall back against his shoulder, my eyes never leaving the Hawaiian sunrise in front of me. He kisses the side of my temple. Butterflies flap their wings in my stomach and I cannot help my smile widening. I am happy. This is what I have always wanted._

" _You are right, it is far nicer out here" Ranger nods. "About last night…"_

" _Don't...can we not talk about this now? I just...I just want to enjoy the bubble that we are in a little longer" I plead with him. I want to live in denial land a little longer. Denial land, where we are just another couple enjoying a Hawaiian vacation, not here to work and find our skip._

" _Okay" He kisses my temple again. "Since we are staying in this bubble, how about we go back to the Hotel room" He adds and sneaks one hand under my top, letting it glide up and over my stomach towards my breasts "...and I will show you how much I like this bubble?"_

" _I could get into that" I smile._

* * *

**Bobby's POV**

"What is going on?" I ask the doctor as soon as he steps out of the treatment room and Tank pushes off the wall to stand next to me. Unfortunately Les has just gone to the waiting area to get us some coffee. Since we are here so much, and Rangemen is a big donor, the nurses let us come through and wait in front of Steph's room.

"Bobby" Jamie, a friend, shakes my hand and motions for us to walk a little down the hall and into a type of conference room, which the staff use to talk privately with a patients family and friends. "It wasn't a heart attack" He informs us as soon as we are seated. My brain immediately jumps into doctor mode, running through the list of what else it could be. I latch onto one and at the same time Jamie confirms my suspicion. "Stephanie has what is called takotsubo cardiomyopathy or broken heart syndrome." He explains more for Tank's benefit than mine.

"That is a joke right?" Tank says in disbelief, turning his gaze from Jamie to me.

"It is not a joke." I assure him and motion for Jamie to continue.

"Broken Heart Syndrome is when the heart muscle becomes suddenly weakened or stunned. The left ventricle, one of the heart's chambers, changes shape." Jamie explains further. "While it is generally more common in older women, it is also frequent in people who have just experienced the loss of a loved one."

"In short, Ranger's death caused her heart too much stress" I add.

A muttered "Fuck" errupts out of Tank, who leans back in his chair and runs his hands over his face and his dread locks. "I would kill him, if he wasn't already dead."

"The good news is that it is a temporary condition and can be treated" Jamie says with a smile and then he turns to me. "We are giving her ACE inhibitors" to lower blood pressure "beta blockers" to slow down her heart rate "diuretics" which are water tablets to decrease the fluid buildup "and anti-anxiety medication to manage her stress."

All things I would prescribe her too. "Thank you Jamie."

"We will transfer her to a private room and you guys can go with her. I know you wouldn't want to leave her alone."

Once Jamie is out of the door, I turn back to Tank, who looks suddenly very exhausted. I am sure I look like shit too. "He will haunt us, if we lose her too." Tank states and then suddenly pushes out of his chair, causing it to topple over and hitting the floor with a thud.

"Tank…" I start, but he just keeps going.

"Screw him for doing this. We _told_ him not to go. That all of this was too dangerous without us going with him. But noooo, he just didn't fucking listen!" Tank booms just when Les walks into the room with coffees in hand and a face that tells me that he wants to know what the doctor said. With one look at him, I convey that I will update him later. "He lied to us where he was going too. South Africa my ass. Fucking Khandahar, where his has got enough fucking enemies."

"He was going to marry her" Les chimes in, making Tank and me whip our heads in his direction. "You know the ring he bought in Russia four years back?" When we both nod, Les continues "Ric said when he gets back he is going to make it official."

"They weren't even dating." I point out to him.

Les laughs at that. "I said the same thing, but Ric told me that he had already waited too long and was done playing around."

"You sure he wasn't drunk or high or something?" Tank questions, while picking his chair back up and sitting on it with the back of the chair to his front, draping his massive arms over the back of the chair.

"Body was his temple, that motherfucker wouldn't even touch Steph's tasty cakes which Ella keeps stocked in his apartment." I reply and now it's Les's turn to stare at me. "Iron Will he has got."

"He had tasty cakes and never shared them?" My best friend gasps. Steph got him hooked and because Ranger banned all sweets from Rangemen desks and the breakroom, they had to find hiding places in the building.

"You realize that Ranger knows about your secret stashes, right?" Tank grins and takes a sip of his coffee. "He just didn't say anything, because he loves the hell out of Steph."

"Why she loves him is beyond me" I add with a laugh.

Les' smile vanishes and he stares into his untouched cup of coffee. "I cannot believe he went without us. And come on, Khanadahar? He swore on Julie he would never go back there."

"As much as I'd like to think he is still out there, Hec confirmed it. He is gone." Tank reminds us.

* * *

**Steph's POV**

" _I could stay like this forever" I draw a lazy pattern with my fingernail on Ranger's chest and smile widely when he shivers, yet he doesn't stop me._

" _Me too" Ranger agrees._

" _Can't we just extend this vacation?"_

" _Babe, Mango isn't staying here forever." Ranger grins._

" _Maybe we can just lock him into the spare room, while we enjoy this a little longer" I smile and roll on top of him._

" _Mhh, I do have zip ties and a gag in my bag…" He mumbles distracted, his eyes fixated on my chest._

* * *

**Bobby's POV**

_A couple of hours later_

"I have to get back to Rangemen." Tank announces and stands from his chair. It is 0600 and he has to go in to organise the day.

"You should go with him, you look like shit" I tell Les, who just flips me off. "Seriously though, get some sleep, I will let you know if anything changes."

With a nod, both of them leave and I lay down on the cot the hospital provided. It helps that we are one of the biggest donors, so we get a better service than most. Which is horrible to say, but it is the state of our health care system.

Which means, Steph gets treated by the best doctors the hospital has, she gets a Private room with all the amenities including a cot for her guests to sleep in and I also get behind the scenes access. Which means if one of us is hurt etc, I get to be in the room.

I reach up and feel Steph's pulse, while glancing at the monitor. They are in sinc. I know it's illogical, but I need reassurance right now. "I cannot lose another friend." I say out loud. I keep feeling her pulse. The feel of it and the knowledge that she is still with us lulls me to sleep.

The opening of the door has me sitting up immediately. My hand falling away from Steph and through my sleep blurred eyes, I glance toward the door. The figure standing in the doorway is familiar and I have to rub the rest of my sleep out of my eyes to be sure. "What the fuck?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Ranger's POV**

"I am no Ghost" I say to Bobby who is rubbing his eyes in disbelief. I would laugh, if I wasn't concerned for the woman lying in the hospital bed right next to him.

"How many lives have you got left?" Bobby questions and gets up from his cot.

"This is my last one" I answer truthfully and walk further into the room, letting the door close silently behind me.

"That bad huh?" He walks right up to me and before I can say anything else he pulls me into a hug. A very manly hug. After a couple of claps on each other's backs, which hurt my injured ribs like hell, we separate and clear our throats. "That gonna be a problem?"

"Nope, a friend was kind enough to secure the paperwork." I shoot him a grin and then let myself fall into the chair next to Babe's bed. I am exhausted. "Went to her Apartment and when she wasn't there I brought up her tracker." I explain, knowing Bobby would want to know how I found her. Babe isn't aware of the tracker in her earrings and I hope to keep it that way. "What happened this time?" I ask, bracing myself for the answer. I have been gone for three months, she could have had another stalker, gotten kidnapped or injured while apprehending an FTA. Letting my gaze run over her body, I cannot see any external injuries, which gives me some relief.

Bobby takes a seat in the other chair next to me and leans back with a sigh. "Broken Heart Syndrome" My head whips around to look at him, to see if he is messing with me, but the serious expression on his face tells me he isn't. "We all thought you were dead. We told her as soon as we got word yesterday."

"What are you talking about? Dead? Did you not get my message? And what the hell is Broken Heart Syndrome? …. Will she recover?" Normally I am level headed and don't let my emotions get the better of me, but between the aftermath of the mission, my injuries, the exhaustion and finding out Babe is in the hospital again, I cannot draw enough energy to compose myself.

"We got a call yesterday from DoD, telling us you died in Afghanistan at 1200 Kandahar time and the usual BS of it being classified. Hec hacked into the DoD and confirmed it. We wouldn't have told her otherwise."

"I wasn't in Kandahar nor Afghanistan" I answer, suspicion instantly growing. "We will get to that later… first, what the hell is going on with Steph?"

"She has something called Broken Heart Syndrome. It is when the heart muscle becomes suddenly weakened or stunned. The left ventricle, one of the heart's chambers, changes shape." Bobby explains. "It is frequent in people who have just experienced the loss of a loved one… Her body couldn't deal with the stress endured by her grief over you dying. But she will be fine."

"I caused this?" I rub my chest just above my heart, which is suddenly hurting painfully.

"She loves you, so yeah, in a way you did." Bobby doesn't mince his words, but while I generally appreciate that traid, this one is a hard one to swallow. "Maybe it's time you two talked. Really talked. If this is your last life, perhaps you should live it to its fullest." When I don't say anything else, he adds "I gotta call the guys."

"Get them to come here, I will tell you all at once." With a nod Bobby clears out of the room, leaving me alone with Steph.

I scoot my chair further forward, ignoring my screaming ribs, and lace her fingers with mine. The heart monitor shows a spike in her heart rate and at the same time her fingers tighten around mine. "Yeah Babe, I am here and I am not going anywhere."

It is a promise I intend to keep.

* * *

**Steph's POV**

" _What did you do?" I ask, trying to suppress a laugh._

" _So the glitter machine malfunctioned and it's everywhere" Ranger sighs with an adorable frustrated look on his face._

_Still trying to hold back the laugh, I ask "So you have just been standing here, waiting for me?"_

" _We can't trudge it through the whole house" Les mutters, looking just as horrified by the amount of glitter around them._

" _You wanna tell them or should I?" Julie asks and looks at me. She is biting her lip so she doesn't burst out laughing, but they keep twitching. I am glad I am not the only one having a hard time holding back my amusement._

" _What did you do?" Rangers eyes instantly narrow in suspicion._

" _You fucked with it, didn't you?" Les asks with an astonished look on his face. Julie and I both lose it at that. Tears are running down our faces and we are holding our stomachs of laughter._

" _Payback" Is the only thing I can get out. A few months back, they put tiny styrofoam balls into Julie's car as a 'You are off to College' prank and it took us hours to get them out. Julie says she still finds some strays when she cleans her car. I vowed to help her with retribution and today was the perfect opportunity. They were supposed to set up everything for Les' daughters fifth birthday. Glitter machine included. We may or may not have tempered with it._

" _You are going to get it" Ranger roars with a grin on his face, before he comes charging towards me._

* * *

**Ranger's POV**

I must have fallen asleep, because I jolt awake when the door to her room opens. My neck instantly disagrees with that motion and so do my ribs. I would have repaid the guy who did this in kind, but I wouldn't be here if I had fought back.

"You look like shit" Les comments and slaps me on the back. Because I wasn't prepared for this, it causes me to jerk forward and I groan.

"For a dead person he looks quite well, I think" Tank chimes in, forgoing the clap on the back, instead pulling me out of my chair and giving me a crushing hug. Again, a very manly hug. "Good to have you back, brother" Tank mutters for only me to hear, before he suddenly let's go of me and nearly makes me miss the edge of the seat. Asshole.

"What can I say, I am just as good looking as Edward Cullen." I shrug. "And also watch the ribs."

"Who?" Bobby and Tank question in unison.

"Twilight" Les answers in my stead. "Jesus do you guys not keep up with the youth at all."

"Not all of us have a daughter who watched that stupid movie." Tank retorts.

"So you know it's a movie" I grin. "Did Lilly con you into watching it?"

"No comment" He answers and the rest of us start laughing. That definitely means yes.

After a while of shooting the shit and Bobby checking for bugs, my cousin addresses the elephant in the room "Okay, asshole, wanna tell us what happened?"

"I was in Columbia, gathering Intel from Marco Garcia, head of the Garcia Cartel on behalf of the CIA." I explain.

"Hold up" Tank chimes in. "You told us you were going to South Africa."

"The meeting Garcia was going to was switched to Columbia last minute. Due to the Colombian Government cracking down on bribery and Marco's enemies gearing up for wat, Marco didn't want to take the risk of being caught." I explain. "It was a Solo mission and I encountered no problems. I expected some fuckery, since this was always going to be my last mission, but until I landed on US soil, there was none."

"I mean I knew about your other plans, but last mission?" Les questions surprised at the same time as Tanks asks "CIA blacksite?"

"Yeah, last mission. I didn't want to say anything until I knew I was in the clear." I answer Les and then look at my best friend. "CIA Blacksite" I confirm "they got me right out of the plane in Houston. Said they needed to debrief me. I was there for two weeks, until they let me go last night. But of course not without a couple of souvenirs." I lift my shirt to show them my bruises. All three of them whistle.

"Let you go, just like that?" Bobby looks at me as if he finds that hard to believe.

"No, I have insurance they don't want leaked."

"Why do we gotta pull everything out of you? This suspense is killing me" Les shoots me a look that let's me know that I better hurry the hell up or he will add to my bruises. I almost smile. He can try, but we both know I am better than him, even injured.

"After we left the Army, do you remember that I told you guys to write everything down, log everything you ever do for the government going forward and not tell a soul, not even each other, where you keep it?" I ask and receive three nods. I knew all along that if we ever got out of this game, Uncle Sam would make sure that we'd never see the light of day again, be it in a concrete box or a smaller wooden one. "Encryption and Data storage is great, but paper storage for backup is even greater. An old friend of mine is holding onto the originals, while I gave the CIA the darknet log in" Having friends in dark places who owe you a favour or two came in very handy this time. What did Uncle Sam think, that I wouldn't plan ahead and record everything I have been doing for them the last ten years?

"They trained us, but forgot how good we actually are" Bobby chuckles.

"So you Blackmailed them?" Surprise lacing Les' voice.

"I did" I nod and then look back at Steph. "While I don't regret serving my country, the mission has changed since we signed up. And I realized that on a trip to the UAE a few years back. What happened on that mission, I couldn't agree with. I completed it, because I knew I would be court marshalled otherwise. So I just finished my contract and elected not to renew."

"Is it going to be a future problem?" Tank probes, making me look back at him.

"I don't think so. With my reputation no one they are going to try and hire is going to touch me." I answer smugly.

"So arrogant" A sweet voice says to my left and all our heads turn to look at Steph. Her beautiful blue eyes are wide open and a smile is on her face, even if it is a wobbly one.

"My ego has its own zip code" I repeat what she has told me countless times before, which earns me a wider smile.

"Someone should really knock you down a peg."

"Many tried, many failed" I lace my hand with hers and squeeze it. During our exchange Bobby got up and pressed the call button next to her bed. Time for the doctors to look her over.


	4. Chapter 4

**Steph's POV**

When I slowly came to and heard his voice, I thought it was a dream, but then I opened my eyes and looked at him, I knew it was real. Yet I cannot stop staring at him. Even when the Doctors and nurses came in, I couldn't break our eye contact. While they prodded away at me and asked me a million questions and he was forced to let go of my hand, we still only had eyes for each other. I wouldn't be able to tell you how many people were in the room, even if you put a gun to my head. My answer would always be just Ranger. He stood right there and watched over me like a hawk. But I could tell in his eyes that he was relieved.

Broken Heart Syndrome, is what they say landed me in the hospital. Apparently it's a real thing. Not surprising, because it felt like my heart was being ripped to pieces when my Merry Men told me Ranger was dead.

My whole body locked down and I couldn't do anything. I couldn't hear. It felt like I was underwater and everything was muffled. The only way I was able to walk was because they held my hand while I did. I was numb, yet was feeling everything. It was horrible.

Once the Doctors are gone and only the Core team and I are left behind, I take a moment to look at all of my Friends. I don't think I have ever seen Tank with anything but a blank expression on his face, but the exhaustion is causing him to let his guard down. Relief and love is reflected in his eyes and it's not just directed at me, but also at Ranger.

Les keeps looking back and forth between Ranger and me with a goofy expression on his face. As if everything is right again in his world. Damn I love this idiot.

And Bobby is just exhausted, but he too is smiling from ear to ear.

They must have been talking to each other, while I was staring at them, so it takes me by surprise when Tank says "We will be back later" and then touches my foot over the blanket and gives it a reassuring squeeze. "We will look into all that stuff." It doesn't take a genius to figure out what stuff he is talking about. Why would the DoD say Ranger was dead, when the CIA was letting him go?

One by one they file out of the room, leaving only Ranger and me behind. "I will be fine?" I ask, not having heard a single thing of what the doctors said when they were in here.

"You will be." Ranger confirms with a smile and comes to stand beside my bed again. As soon as he is within reach, I grab his hand. The need to touch him is so overwhelming, that I squeeze the hell out of it. It probably feels like a gentle touch to him, while I am using a considerable amount of strength. "You will be as good as new within a month or so. Probably have to take the medication for three months and you will have to do a echocardiogram in six weeks or so...or at least that's from what I understood. Bobby will know for certain."

"You are here" Not what I wanted to say, but I am just gonna go with it. Yesterday my world was falling apart and today it's as if by magic it was put back together.

"And you apparently love me so much that you could die from it." As soon as that is out of his mouth, he winces. "That was a horrible way to lighten the mood."

I use all of my strength to pull him closer, until he is sitting at the edge of my bed. With a deep inhale, I decide it is time to lay all my cards on the table. I had so many near death experiences, yet this one made me realize that life is really short and you gotta make the most of it. "I do...love you I mean." I smile at him. "That was the one thing that kept running through my head yesterday. I love him and I didn't tell him."

"Are you sure? Because my ego has its own postcode and whoever is sleeping next to me needs to realize I take up most of the bed with it."

"I think I could live with that." I nod and before I can add anything else, he scoops me up and lies down on the bed with me in his arms. A sigh coming from deep within escapes my mouth. Despite the fact I am in a hospital right here in this moment, I feel utterly at peace. "Is it really this simple?"

"It can be, if we let it." Ranger answers and draws me further into his side. "I know there are a million things we have to talk about and get out of the way and work through, but I think this could be the beginning of something great."

"Oh god you are cheesy" I bury my head into the crook of his neck with a laugh.

"You had me at hello" He adds with a laugh, making me groan again, until I replay what he just said.

"You watched Jerry Mcguire?"

"SHOW ME THE MONEY" Ranger shouts, making me laugh so hard that the heart monitor starts beeping and seconds later a very stern looking nurse comes storming into the room. But one look at Ranger and her frown turns upside down. Subsequently she unhooks me from the monitor, after Ranger assures her that he will not leave my side and will keep a close eye on me.

Ranger and I always had an unconventional relationship. We became friends, because he had to keep coming to my rescue. We fell in love, despite either one or the other was in a relationship. Even when we both were single, we tried to keep our distance, because we didn't believe that we were worthy of the other person. We didn't believe that we could have something great.

So yeah, maybe it is that simple. Or it is just that simple for us.

* * *

**Ranger's POV**

_A six months later, Jersey Beach_

"You are insane" Babe shakes her head.

"That is debatable."

"You cannot just go up there and ask if they would sell the place to you." She protests.

"Babe, do you love the house?"

"Yeah, but…"

I place a finger over her mouth to stop her from talking. "No but. You have been staring at this house everyday when we have walked past it. You want it, you are going to get it."

"Ranger" She steps away from my finger. "No, don't. That is…" When she fails to find the right words, my smile just gets bigger.

"Watch me" With a small kiss to her lips, I walk over to the house, where an elderly couple is sitting on the veranda.

Half an hour later and a few million lighter, I walk away with a grin. I didn't even have to persuade them. It turns out that the couple had been thinking of selling the house for sometime now, but couldn't quite let it go, as they didn't want to sell the house to just anyone. When I told them the reason I wanted to buy it, they consented immediately. I paid above market value and agreed that they could come and visit at any time.

When I get to the bottom of the steps, which lead to the beach, I find Babe sitting in the sand facing the ocean, with the sun setting behind her. She has drawn her cardigan tighter around herself, her shoeless feet are buried in the cool sand and her knees are drawn to her chest and her arms are wrapped around them. The autumn breeze is playing with her curls, occasionally whipping one in her pretty face, and from the distance I can tell she is sporting a smile.

I thank my lucky stars everyday that she is still with me.

I could have lost her due to the mistake a Junior Officer made or at least that is the official story the DoD is sticking with. Babe got a nice payout for the stress endured due to that 'mistake'. But in turn all of us had to sign a Non Disclosure agreement, which I signed only if they guaranteed to give me my freedom in writing. They did, so I am free to live my life as I see fit.

Babe has come a long way since she was released from the hospital. Of course she insisted on going back to her place, instead of moving in with me like I wanted her to, so we have been spending most nights at her apartment for the last six months. She goes to see a counsellor on a weekly basis to work through the trauma and I even had a few sessions with her.

I quickly snap a picture of her, before I walk over to where she is sitting. "You are a sight for sore eyes" I say, coming to sit behind her and wrapping my arms around her in the same motion.

"Don't use flattery after what you just did." Her snappy reply makes me smile, but I know she isn't angry. Maybe mildly annoyed. And I can work with that.

"What good is all my money if I cannot buy you something pretty." I retort.

"It's a house Ranger not jewelry!" She exclaims. "Someone is already living there."

I press a kiss to her neck and then nip at her ear. "And they have been fairly compensated." I assure her. "I love you Steph and I would buy the whole damn world for you if you wanted it."

Babe's head turns to look at me. Her face is full of surprise. "You never said it before."

"I always thought actions were enough to let you know how much you meant to me" I shrug as if it was obvious. "...Over the years, I believed that showing you would make you see how much I cared, but we both know I was wrong, so now I will also give you the words." I reach into my pocket and pull the little jewellery box out. "Stephanie Michelle Plum, I love you, so please put me out of my misery and tie yourself to me for the rest of our lives."

Instead of answering she just turns around, pushes me to the ground and kisses the ever loving hell out of me.

I'd say that is a yes, wouldn't you?


End file.
